Type-writing machine



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. T. J. DOWNING.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

No. 504,713. Patented Sept. 12, 1893.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

T. J. DOWNING.

TYPE WRITING MAGHINE.

No. 504,713. Patented Sept. 12,1893.

6N0 Model.) a Sheets- Sheet a.

T. J. DOWNING.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

No. 504,713. 7 Patented Sept. 12,1898.

lgaagfr wmas lfiowzzzny 13y w firgays,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS J. DOVVNING, OF LINCOLN, ILLINOIS.

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 504,713, dated September 12,1893.

Application filed August 5, 1892. Serial No. 442,245. on; model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, THOMAS J. DOWNING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lincoln, in the county of Logan and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Type- IVriting Machine, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a trip-mechanism for controlling the use of the upper and lower case type in type-writing machines in which two cases are carried by one set of type-heads operated by one set of keys, and in which the change from lower to upper case is accomplished by the depression of a key (known as the upper case key) to throw the roll carriage to the rear.

It is the object of my invention to provide a trip-mechanism whereby the upper case key may be depressed and immediately released, in the same manner as any other key on the machine, the carriage being held by the trip in the upper-case position until the key carrying the letter which is to appear as a capital is struck, the act of striking said key releasing the trip and allowing the carriage to resume its normal position in which it is held and to which it is returned by an actuating spring. Thus, in operating a machine provided with my improvement, when it is desired to print a capital letter (when the machine is set to print the lower case) the operator simply strikes the upper case key, and then the letter-key, the trip being released by the action of striking said letter-key, as it is, also, by striking the space-bar.

Furthermore, my invention has for its object to provide means whereby the carriage may be locked in the upper-case position merely by the depression of a lever 1n connection with the trip-mechanism.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear in the following description, the novel features thereof being particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a front view of my improved trip-mechanism, applied in the operative position to a type-writing machine. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertlcal sectional view of the machine, showing the position of the trip mechanism in full lines as seen when the lower case is in use and in dotted lines as seen when temporarily ad usted for the upper case. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the parts in the position which they assume when permanently adjusted for the upper case. Fig. 4 is a partial rear view with the feed mechanism broken away to show the feed-bar and its position with relation to the trip-mechanism. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the trip-slide. Fig. 6 is a similar View of the bell-crank lever.

Referring to the drawings, in which similar numerals refer to corresponding parts in the several views: 1 designates the frame, 2 the key-board, 3 the upper-case key, 4 the carriage, 5 the roll, 6 the bell-cranklevers which are connected to the carriage guide-bar, 7, said guide-bar being capable of forward and rearward oscillation and being straddled by guide-fingers, 9, carried by the carriage, 10 the links by which said bell-crank levers are connected to the case-key levers, 11 the rockshaft which extends transversely across the front of the machine and supports said bellcrank levers, 12 the feed-mechanism, and 13 the feed-operating bar, which is connected to the feed lever, 14, andis connected at its ends to the ends of a crossbar, 15, which is in turn connected with the universal bail located beneath the key-levers and adapted to be depressed by each one of the latter as they are operated, all of which parts are old and common to machines now in general use.

The construction involving my invention, although shown in connection with, and designed to co-operate with, the above mentioned parts of the ordinary machine, is not necessarily inseparably connected therewith, but may be used in connection with any machine having the general characteristics hereinbefore pointed out, namely, a sliding carriage operated by a case-key.

The trip-mechanism is constructed as follows: 16 designates a vertical guide-bar, arranged at the rear of the machine and provided with a vertical guide-slot, 17, in which fits and operates the rear end of the slidebar, 18. The front end of the slide-bar is pivotally connected to the lower end of aswinging-arm or hanger, 19, the upper end of which to the guide-bar by means of a set-screw, 21, engaging a slot, '22, in said detent, and the slide-bar is provided in its upper edge, near its rear end with a shoulder or notch, 23, which is adapted to engage the lower end of said detent, the slide-bar being thrown up to engage the detent, and held in such position, by a leaf-spring 24, which is attached to the slide-bar and bears at its free end against the lower end of the guide-slot, 17.

A coiled spring, 25, attached at its rear end to the vertical guide-bar and connected at its front end to the lower end of the swinging-arm or hanger 19, serves to draw the slidebar to the rear when its shoulderis released from the detent.

From the above description it will be un derstood that by the depression of the uppercase key, in the usual manner the rock-shaft will be operated, the swinging-arm or hanger will be thrown to the front, at its lower end, the slide-bar will be moved forward, and its shoulder will engage the detent upon the guide-bar and will be held in this position by the leaf-spring, 24, thus holding the carriage of the machine in its upper-case position. \Vhen the slide-bar is elevated at its rear end by the spring 24 to engage its shoulder with the detent, the upper edge of the said bar is brought into the plane of the lower surface of the transverse feed-bar, 13, (above described) whereby when said bar is depressed, by the depression of a key or the space-bar, it will.

engage the slide bar, depress it sufficiently to disengage its shoulder from the detent, and allow it to be thrown to the rear by the contraction of the coiled spring, which is shown at 25. Thus, when the upper case key is depressed the carriage is locked in its uppercase position until released by the depres sion of the subsequent key.

In addition to the above, I also employ a trip-slide, 26, which consists of a loop or yoke, fitting and sliding upon the slide-bar, and connected by means of the rod, 27, to the lower arm of a bell-crank lever, 28, which is fulcrumed to the lower end of the swingingarm or hanger. The upper side of this tripslide fits and operates in ashallow recess, 29, in the upper edge of the slide-bar at that point which is engaged by the transverse feed-bar, 13, said recess being of a depth to receive the trip-slide, so that the upper surface of the latter is in the plane of the upper edge of the slide-bar. When the trip-slide is in its normal position, as shown in Fig. 2, the depression of the vertically movable bar, 13, by the depression of a key, will cause the depression of the slide-bar, for the reason that the slide is in the path of said bar, 13, but if it is desired to use the upper case exclusively, for several letters, as when making a heading, &c., the free end of the lever 28 is pressed, thus moving the trip-slide out of the path of the bar, 13, as shown in Fig. 3, and allowing the latter, when depressed, to

drop into the recess 29 without engaging or disturbing the slide-bar.

From the above it will be seen that the operation of my trip-mechanism depends upon a bar which is depressed, or at least moved each time a key or the space-bar is struck, but, aside from this, my invention may be applied to any type-writing machine employing the double case arrangement which is above mentioned. I have shown and described my trip-mechanism as being operated by means of the vertically movable feed-bar, which is common to machines of this class, but any other bar which operates in the same way, namely, at each depression of a key or the space bar, whether said bar forms a part of the ordinary machine or is an independent attachment for the purpose of operating the trip, may be employed in this connection.

For beginners and where rapid writing is necessary or desirable the trip-mechanism saves confusion, prevents mistakes caused by a too speedy release of. the upper-case, and enables the operator'to use both hands in the operation of writing, at all times.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a type writing machine, having upper and lower case letters, the combination with shifting mechanism for controlling the same,

of a slide-bar connected to, and operated by said shifting-mechanism and provided with an automatic stop to hold the parts in one position, and means for communicating motion from the printing mechanism to the slidebar to release the stop, substantially as specified.

2. In a type-writing machine having upper and lower case letters, the combination with operating means for controlling said upper and lower case, of a spring-actuated slide-bar, provided with a spring-actuated stop to hold the parts in the upper case position, and adapted to be engaged and released by a depressible bar connected with and operated by the key levers, substantially as specified.

3. In a type-writing'machine, havingupper and lower case letters, the combination with operating means for controlling said upper and lower case, said operating means having a rock-shaft which is connected to and open ated by the case adjusting key, of a hanger carried by said rock-shaft, and connected to a retraction spring, and aslide-bar connected at one end to the hanger, fitted to slide at the other end in a guide and provided with a spring-stop, said slide-bar being in the path of and adapted to be released bya depressible bar connected to the key-levers, substantially as specified.

4. In atype-writing machine, having upper and lowerv case letters, the combination with operating. means for controlling said upper and lower case and provided with a rockshaft, of a swinging-arm or hanger attached to said rook-shaft, a slide-bar pivotally connected to said swinging-arm or hanger and provided with a shoulder, and a guide-bar provided with a slot to receive the free end of the slide-bar and a detent to engage the shoulder thereon, said slide-bar being provided with a spring to normally hold it in position to cause its shoulder to engage the detent, and being arranged in the path of a depressible bar connected to the key-levers, substantially as specified.

5. In a type-writing machine, the combination with a rock-shatt connected to the upper and lower case adjusting mechanism, of a hanger carried by the rock-shaft, a slide-bar connected at one end to said hanger and operating at the other end in a guide-slot, a spring-actuated stop carried by the slide-bar, a depressible bar connected to the key-levers and adapted at the depression of each key to engage and release the stop of the slide-bar, and a trip-slide, mounted upon the slide-bar and adapted to be arranged in the path of said depressible bar or removed therefrom, substantially as specified.

6. In a type-writing machine, the combination with a rock-shaft connected to the upper and lower case adjusting mechanism, of a hanger carried by the rock-shaft, a tension spring connected to the lower end of said hanger, a slide-bar pivotally connected at its front end to the lower end of said hanger and sliding at its rear end in a guide, adjacent to a detent, said slide-bar being provided with a shoulder and a spring to cause said shoulder to engage the detent and the trip-slide mounted to slide upon the slide'bar and connected by a connecting rod with a lever arranged at the front end of the slide-bar, said slide-bar being adapted to be engaged and released from its stop by the depression of a bar connected to the key-levers when said trip-slide is arranged in the path of said bar, substantially as specified.

7. The attachment for type-writing machines comprising a slide-bar, connected to the upper and lower case operating mechanism, and operating at its rear end in a guide provided with a detent to engage a shoulder on the slide -bar, the latter being provided with a spring to hold its shoulder in position, normally, to engage the detent, and the tripslide mounted to slide upon the slide-bar, all substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed mysignature in the presence of two witnesses.

T. J. DOWNING.

Witnesses:

J N0. H. SIGGERs, WM. S. DUVALL, 

